Product Alert

FDA Cautions on Vitamin D Overdose in Babies

WASHINGTON -- The FDA has issued a warning about the possibility of adverse effects if infants are given doses of vitamin D supplements in excess of the recommended 400 IU.

The agency noted that some supplements are sold with droppers that allow larger doses, which can cause nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, excessive thirst, frequent urination, constipation, abdominal pain, muscle weakness, muscle and joint aches, confusion, fatigue, and kidney damage.

The FDA urged caregivers to use products with a dropper that is marked in a way that proper dose distribution is clearly evident.

The caution was released in response to a recommendation made by the American Academy of Pediatrics this April. "We said we would evaluate and advise the industry; that's what we did today," an agency spokesperson said in an e-mail to MedPage Today.

Vitamin D supplements can help prevent bone thinning, softness, and improper bone shape in infants deficient in the vitamin -- often those who are breast-fed.

Cole Petrochko started his journalism career at MedPage Today in 2009, after graduating from New York University with B.A.s in Journalism and Psychology. When not writing for MedPage Today, he blogs about nerd culture, designs websites, and buys and sells collectible card game cards. He is based out of MedPage Today's Little Falls, N.J. Headquarters.

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